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DAIEY AND FOOD DIVISION. 



The work of this Division probably reaches the general taxpayer 

 and citizen more directly and universally than that of any of the 

 frve divisions of the Department; the other four, important as they 

 are, only reach a portion of our citizens; the Institute Division ap- 

 peals directly to the interests of the agricultural class by furnishing 

 them with such information as they most need; the Forestry Division 

 appeals directly to the interests of the lumberman and student of 

 climatology and only reaches the average citizen at the point at 

 which its work bears upon the rainfall and climate of our State; the 

 Entomological Division works along the line which more directly 

 appeals to the interests of the fruit and vegetable grower, and the 

 Veterinary Division appeals almost exclusively to the interests of 

 the stock owner and stock raiser and only reaches the general tax- 

 payer at non-essential points, but in the work of the Dairy and Food 

 Division we have interests which reach every citizen of our Common- 

 wealth, for none are so high or so low that the character and condition 

 of their food supplies is not a matter of dollars and cents to them, 

 and to whom the work of this division appeals at every point. 



When the Division was organized three and one-half years ago 

 an opinion prevailed that by ruling out adulterated food products, 

 its work would cause an increase in the prices of many classes of 

 products of common use and thus affect the commodities of every day 

 life, and that in this direction, it would work to the advantage of 

 the Wealthy purchaser and against the interests of the laboring man; 

 but three and one-half years of practical work have clearly shown 

 that this work has not increased the cost of any commodity; that low 

 grade goods, if they are properly marked, can still be purchased under 

 a system which ensures to every purchaser the opportunity to protect 

 himself from fraud and imposition. 



This work, while it has educated the manufacturers to a higher 

 plane, has also educated the consumer to the fact that the higher 

 grades of most of the commodities which he purchases are the most 

 economical, although they cost more per pound per package than 

 those marked "Compound" and that they furnish more of what he 

 wants for a given amount than can be obtained from "compounds" 

 o: "mixtures." 



A careful resume of the work will convince anyone that a change 

 for the better has forced itself into the grocery and food stores of 



